Positive first impressions are a good start, but winning has to follow for Ben Johnson, Bears

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — You never get a second chance to make a first impression. As the Chicago Bears coaching staff welcomed players into the building for the first offseason program session, Ben Johnson didn’t take his chance to make a lasting impression on his new football team lightly.

That much was made clear by the four players who spoke to the media at Halas Hall on Tuesday morning.

As Johnson addressed a nearly full group of players for the first time as head coach, his command of the room was palpable — even stronger than what the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator displayed during his introductory press conference at the team facility back in January.

While Tremaine Edmunds listened intently, the linebacker couldn’t help but think: “Okay, this guy is the real deal.”

Why? Confidence. *paging Dave Wannstedt*

“The confidence level, being a first-time head coach and being able to address the room—that’s important,” Edmunds told reporters. “You feel that as players, you feel that as everybody in the room. He stepped up there with confidence. Guys were all ears [and] gave him the utmost respect. That’s what it’s all about.”

But Johnson’s confidence isn’t built on blind faith, either. The head coach’s history as an offensive playcaller, plus his ability to build a star-studded staff as a first-timer, are all intertwined. And it’s making it easier for some, like Edmunds, to buy what the refreshed regime is selling.

“We know where we’re trying to get to as a program, and I think we’re going in the right direction, bringing the right people in, and that starts up top with the coaching staff,” Edmunds said. “From there, bringing in the right players and now that’s what this time is for. Building that identity, building that team chemistry to be able to work towards a goal, but we know that’s a long ways away, so we gotta start now.”

[Adam Hoge’s thoughts on the defensive roster ahead of the NFL Draft]

Not everybody was as quick as the linebacker to hop aboard the hype train. Jaylon Johnson, who also spoke on Tuesday, needs to see actual results before he gets too excited:

“I’ve been through it too many times. I’m going to get excited when we win in November and December, and we change some things and get to the playoffs; that’s when I’ll be excited.”

Johnson, 25, is the second longest-tenured player in Chicago, trailing Cole Kmet by only a few minutes, as the tight end was selected just seven picks ahead of him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. His hesitance to jump for joy as he prepares to work under a third head coach and fifth defensive coordinator is understandable if not to be expected.

However, as one of Chicago’s four defensive captains a year ago, making an effort to be present for the first voluntary offseason program was about more than just abiding by the status quo of a common NFLer.

“[To] show my respect,” the former All-Pro cornerback explained. “I think it’s big for me to just come in and be able to shake guys’ hands, see them in person. [To this point] I just talked to them on the phone. To come in and really just be with the guys, show the guys that I’m here, really just show my face—for me, that was important to do on Day 1.”

As for the offensive side of the ball, the oft-soft-spoken Darnell Wright enjoyed his new head coach’s address:

“It was good, it was good. A lot of stuff he had to hit on, like I don’t know the right word for it, just like don’t park in parking spot type deal, stupid. There’s a couple things he said I won’t really mention, but he said some good things you can really tell he’s made of the right stuff.”

When asked if Wright had been privy to any offseason conversations that contemplated a move from right tackle to the left side, the lineman joked: “Well, they said I was going to quarterback.”

[Adam Hoge’s thoughts on the offensive roster ahead of the NFL Draft]

Then, there was the cautiously optimistic perspective of the franchise’s quarterback that almost perfectly encapsulated the middle ground of the feelings shared by his three teammates. An eager-to-share and seemingly refreshed Caleb Williams also offered some insight into what was actually said by Johnson on Monday:

“It was great. Being able to see him get up there. He said, ‘You never forget your first day as a head coach.’ He said, ‘It’s a great day, let’s get this thing rolling.’ He jumped out there and set a bunch of dos, set a bunch of don’ts, set a precedent of what we’re going to be like as a team, finding our identity and all of that.”

And while Williams is looking forward to the possibilities that lie ahead, the quarterback entering his second season in the NFL knows that any excitement on Day 1 in the building is nothing without a willingness to put in a proper, worthy effort:

“We’re excited. Obviously, we have to put in the work. Can’t be too excited because the work hasn’t been done, but definitely excited for what’s to come and the future.”